Nate-
2 years ago took a hit to his right knee playing football, went to the Ortho as it was really looking like a torn ACL. Knee was immobilized and he was on crutches-over 4 weeks it steadily improved and all swelling, pain and decreased ROM resolved. Has been playing 3 sports since with no residual.

Justin-
Non-athletic (compu-nerd). Has a 'birth defect'- hypermobile meniscus (menisci ?). Had meniscal repair right knee in 1998 with 'darts', no tears in it, just repeated locking, buckeling, pain & swelling. They set out to repair the left knee in 1999-he refused, hated the immobilized NWB x6 weeks. Ortho said OK, eventually it will hurt bad enough and he will let us do it.

Fast forward 2001:

Justin-
end of September says thats it, I don't care what they want to do, I can't take it (locking, buckeling, swelling & pain) any more.
Eventually surgery is schedule 11/14/01 @ 1500.

Nathan-
now remember, he's had NO problems...11/12/01 is sitting on the floor playing with the cats, bends right knee to get up and it locks. Off we go to the Ortho...has emergant arthroscopy on 11/13- the couldn't do an xray or MRI as it was locked. Has a 'huge' bucket handle tear lateral meniscus-took 8 darts to repair.

Justin-
Has surgery as scheduled...dont really understand but it was torn 'all the way around 'the outside edge and had skinned over (?), so they scuffed it all up and he has stitches that go through the meniscus around the back of the knee and out the oppisite side of the leg.

BOTH are immobilized and NWB 6-10 weeks.

When 11 & 12 Nate broke his left thumb on a Monday, Justin broke his left arm (riding Nates bike) the next day.

Now for my question...is this a guy thing (like best friends), a brothers thing or just my boys?

lol, nancy..they just don't wanna be outdone or want mom to give the other more attention.
My concern is for mom..having to pamper TWO injured boys!

Nov 17, '01

The magic of Percocet makes it work...one for you, one for you, two for Mommy!

Really it's not so bad, once Nate quit the post-op pukin (day 3) it got better. They just don't have any hands- its amazing how many 'little things' they do around the house.

I am sending them back to school for Monday and Tuesday, I figure I'll have to pitch them in the back of the truck and throw a tarp over them.

-nancy

Nov 18, '01

Hi, no it's not just guys, my sister and I had similar things going on!

A few years ago my sis phoned me and told me she had a cast on her left leg, cuase her ligaments in her left foot were torn up, as she fell off the steps in the metro.
Off course I felt really sorry for her, wished her all the best and not too much heat (this was the end of June) for the next 4 weeks.

So, next morning I went off for my daily run and on my way home, slipped on the wet grass, my left foot reallllllyyyyyy hurt, but somehow I made it home.
Took my (high) runningshoe off and waaaappps......I had a football instead of a left foot!
Into a taxi, to the ER, the one where I worked, after one look, the ortho. asked me, did you have breakfast? .................

Well shorten the story...... I was operated on, stiches for the ligaments and 2 nails for the bone and then 3 weeks cast with crutches and then another cast for 7 weeks!!

As I called my sister, she couldn't stop laughing!!

PS: that was one of the hottest summer we ever had!! That was the summer of 1983!!!

Nov 21, '01

It keeps getting better...the crutch twits-I mean twins are recovering nicely. I found out yesterday from their orthos that because they go to a huge, crowded high school that for safety reasons they can't go back until they have wheel chairs with an elevated footrest. DME is now talking to the insurance company. Looks like they will be riding in the truck